Fr. Robert Salmon (1878-1962)

Father Robert Salmon passed away October 9, 1962.

Father Robert was a monk of St. Benedict’s Abbey for 62 years and his contributions to it followed the pattern of many of monk-priests.  He taught both at St. Benedict’s College and at Maur Hill, served in many of the parishes such as St. Benedict’s and Sacred Heart in Atchison, St. Patrick’s south of Atchison, Bendena, Purcell, and later at St. Charles, Troy, Kan., where he became the first resident pastor in 1953.  He was chaplain to Sisters in Glendora, and Alhambra, Calif.  He retired to the Abbey in 1958 and still helped out on occasion.

Father Robert was a large man, outspoken, considered gruff by some and he was noted for having somewhat poor eyesight.  One monk as a novice in 1952 served Mass for him during the annual community retreat.  He noted that Father Robert took the large sized edition of the Missale Romanum in his large hands, put it a few inches from his eyes and loudly proclaimed the Introit of the daily Mass.  Father Robert is reported to have driven on some freshly poured cement on a newly finished stretch of U.S. Highway 73 near Lowemont.  The tracks remained for some time. 

Apparently at the time of the election of Abbot Thomas Hartman, Father Robert was seen by another monk attempting to read the bulletin board without his glasses.  He asked the monk what the signs said?  The monks replied, “They say “Bobby for Abbot!”  

Father Robert was such an imposing figure that one could hardly feature him being called, “Bobby.”  He was, despite the eyesight problem, an avid reader and also taught Catholic doctrine over a St. Joseph radio station for ten years.